For spring-summer 2024, Gabriela Hearst was talking about the Druids and quoted a wicca handbook. But the designer’s clothes really don’t need that much background and explanation. The collection’s highlight dress, made from black cashmere linen gauze, had the long draped sleeves of a high priestess robe. Witchy lengths and layers reappeared all over the offering, but there was a contemporary feel to them. The designer cut a couple of very elegant pantsuits, of course in responsibly sourced or deadstock materials. As usual, she’s also passionate about craft. There was an extraordinary white poncho and dress in this collection whose elaborate patterns were hand-crocheted and hand-macraméd by Bolivian artisans after a painting by the Haitian artist Levoy Exil, whose work draws inspiration from voodoo. The poncho took over 1,500 hours to complete. Beaded mesh dresses, while simpler, require their own time-consuming steps; to make the yarn, the glass beads are first strung on silk, which is then spun with cashmere. Heart will show her last collection for Chloé later this month; that match just didn’t click, even with the designer’s best intentions. At least now she will have more space for perfecting her vision at her New York-based label.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram! By the way, did you know that I’ve started a newsletter called Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!